DesPaul Woosley is a South-Central Kentucky native from Big Reedy, KY located in Edmonson County. Paul’s love for agriculture began at an early age, growing up on his grandparents’ small family farms. Working on the farm, he gained experience in forage, tobacco, corn, vegetable, poultry, swine, and beef cattle production. In high school, he found his niche with FFA serving as his chapter’s secretary and president. Choosing a university was an easy choice for Paul. Both his parents served as staff members at WKU. Paul received his B.S. in Agriculture focusing in soil science with a chemistry minor from WKU in 1996.

While at WKU, Paul realized he would like to be teaching in the classroom at the collegiate level someday. He took a research assistance position with the University of Kentucky and began working on his M.S. in Agronomy which he received in 1998. During his M.S. work, he conducted research on measuring intake of grazing cattle. Paul stayed at UK for his doctorate, but switched disciplines where he earned his Ph.D. in Crop Science with a minor in plant physiology in 2002. During this time, he researched annual bluegrass control strategies in professional turf.

Paul fulfilled his dream of returning to the classroom at WKU in 2002, accepting an assistant professor position in the Department of Agriculture and Food Science. Over his 20-year career at WKU, he obtained the rank of professor where he has taught many different classes and conducted research in turfgrass, industrial hemp, and animal waste management. He has recently honed his administrative skills serving as the director of the Agriculture Research and Education Center for 5 years before accepting the Agriculture and Food Science Chair in 2023.

Holstein Association USA CEO

John M. Meyer has been serving as Chief Executive Officer of Holstein Association USA, Inc. since 2001. In this role, he leads the world’s largest dairy breed organization from its headquarters in Brattleboro, Vermont.

For the last 25 years, John Meyer has held leadership roles with breed associations, first with the Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders Association and now Holstein Association, USA.

Over the years, Meyer has lent his considerable talents to other industry boards as well. He has been President of the National Pedigreed Livestock Council; Chairman of the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding; a Board member on the National Mastitis Council; member of the Animal ID Task Force of the National Institute for Animal Agriculture; a Councilor for the World Holstein Friesian Federation; and a member of World Dairy Expo’s Dairy Cattle Committee. In 2021, he received the National Dairy Shrine’s highest recognition, the Guest of Honor award.

Holstein Association USA Analytics and Innovation Scientist

Jeffrey Bewley is from Rineyville, Kentucky where he grew up working on his grandfather's dairy farm. He received a B.S. in Animal Sciences from the University of Kentucky and a M.S. in Dairy Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. His PhD work at Purdue University focused on the application and economics of Precision Dairy Farming technologies. He has spent much of his career focused on dairy data and technologies in various industry roles. He has secured over 8.0 million dollars in funding during his research career. He has published over 50 peer reviewed publications and over 100 invited presentations around the world.

Holstein Association USA Marketing Communications Manager

Emily Annexstad grew up as the third generation on her family’s dairy farm near St. Peter, Minnesota. She studied Animal Science – Dairy Production and Agricultural Communications and Marketing at the University of Minnesota, where she was active in the Gopher Dairy Club and a member of the Dairy Judging and Dairy Challenge teams. Now Emily works as the Marketing Communications Manager for Holstein Association USA. She is passionate about sharing dairy farmer’s stories through writing, digital media, and other communication channels.